The purpose of the International Reactor Physics Experiment Evaluation Project (IRPhEP) is to provide an extensively peer-reviewed set of reactor physics-related integral data that can be used by reactor designers and safety analysts to validate the analytical tools used to design next-generation reactors and establish the safety basis for operation of these reactors. This work of the IRPhEP is formally documented in the 'International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments', a single source of verified and extensively peer-reviewed reactor physics benchmark measurements data.

Identify a comprehensive set of reactor physics experimental measurements data,

Evaluate the data and quantify overall uncertainties through various types of sensitivity analysis to the extent possible, verify the data by reviewing original and subsequently revised documentation, and by talking with the experimenters or individuals who are familiar with the experimental facility,

Compile the data into a standardized format,

Perform calculations of each experiment with standard reactor physics codes where it would add information,

Formally document the work into a single source of verified and peer reviewed reactor physics benchmark measurements data.

The International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments contains reactor physics benchmark specifications that have been derived from experiments that were performed at various nuclear experimental facilities around the world. The benchmark specifications are intended for use by reactor physics personal to validate calculational techniques.

The 2014 Edition of the International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Experiments contains data from 135 different experimental series that were performed at 48 different reactor facilities. 131 of the 135 evaluations are published as approved benchmarks. The remaining 4 evaluations are published as DRAFT documents only. Draft documents have been reviewed by the IRPhEP Technical Review Group (TRG); however, all action items could not be completed or reviewed in time for the final publication or, in most cases, the TRG felt it necessary to review the revised evaluations before giving final approval. The Handbook is organized in a manner that allows easy inclusion of additional evaluations, as they become available.

New to the handbook are benchmark specifications for selected measurements from the VENUS-7 series that were performed in the zero power VENUS reactor at SCK•CEN, Mol (Belgium) as part of the “Plutonium Recycle programme”.

The International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments was prepared by a working party comprised of experienced reactor physics personnel from Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, P.R. of China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

The IRPhEP Handbook is available to authorised requesters from the OECD member countries and to contributing establishments from non-OECD countries. Other requests are handled on a case by case basis.